Making A Garden Cake: Part 1

"Although this cake may look very complex and difficult to make, it is in fact pretty easy to do, especially when done in stages."

This cake was an 8" square fruit cake but any shape or size will be fine. A sponge cake can also be used.

The Garden Cake features a selection of vegetables such as cauliflowers, runner beans and carrots as well as flowers plus little humorous additions such as his battered, old wheelbarrow and giant ducks in the pond (which also doubled as candles).

Step 1 - making the cauliflower

Start by making the vegetables. To make a cauliflower first roll a pea sized ball out of an off white sugar paste or marzipan and prick the top with a cel stick or cocktail stick to make the dimples. Next roll out some green sugarpaste or marzipan for the leaves and using a rounded leaf shaped cutter, cut out about 5 leaves and wrap around the ball, overlapping each layer, to build up the outer leaves. Attach with a little cooled boiled water. Fold back the tops of the outer leaves to give a fuller shape.

Step 2 - making the carrots

To make a carrot roll a little orange coloured sugar paste or marzipan into a sausage shape with one fat end, approximately 1cm in length. Using a sharp knife make shallow marks in the carrot starting at the fat end and going to the narrow end. Using a dark green sugarpaste or coloured marzipan, roll a very small sausage shape, next using a cel stick or modelling cone make an indent in the top of the carrot (fat end) and insert the green sausage shape using the some edible glue. To finish, use a sharp knife to cut through the top of the green sausage, cutting it into thirds.

Step 3 - making the cabbage

To make a cabbage roll a pea sized ball out of a pale green sugar paste or marzipan. Next roll out some of the same pale green sugarpaste, and using a rounded leaf shaped cutter, cut out about 5 leaves. Using a leaf veiner, press onto each leaf to add texture. Wrap these around the ball, overlapping each leaf, to build up the outer leaves. Attach a little cooled boiled water or edible glue.

DETAILS ON HOW TO MAKE THE REST OF THE CAKE INCLUDING THE FLOWER BEDS, RUNNER BEANS, GATE AND THE WHEELBARROW WILL BE IN PART TWO.